Fiddler on the Roof Props

As I mentioned in another post I volunteer at a local High School and help out with their Tech Theater. This last Spring they did the play “Fiddler on the Roof”. These are some of the props I built for the play. The cart was a fun little challenge but once I got the axle and wheel combination worked out it was a great piece in the play. I learned a lot during this experience. One of the biggest things I learned is that I hate building stairs :) With limited space on the stage I couldn’t just go out and buy pre-made stair stringers. I had to design and build my own to make it work. It took some time but in the end I think it turned out well. The platform itself was built like a deck on a house and it is 8 feet tall. Since this is a play and these are props I don’t have to build everything to code but safety is paramount. I thoroughly tested all aspects of the build before I allowed anyone on it. The tailor shop was a simple prop on wheels so the stage crew could easily spin it around on stage. One scene you are on the outside looking in and in another the characters are on the inside of the shop. Simple but effective. The bed was built on wheels so it could be dragged around the stage by the cast with the Mom and Dad in it during the dream scene. This was a lot of work and all in all took about 6 weeks to get everything done and ready for the show. However when I sat in the audience and watched the play come together on stage I felt like a proud Papa.